"City" reads

[random12345]

I'm on a bit of a city read bender right now. It's always a bad thing when I have a lot of time on my hands because no longer being 14 years old, I struggle to come up with activities to amuse myself.

So I thought I'd start to read what seem mostly fictional, yet supposedly entertaining trading books about the Square Mile.

I've either read or acquired the following:

Dumb Money - off topic since it's about an American trading tech stocks over a 28.8 modem rather than the city. Still I'd heard it was entertaining. I heard wrong.

Bets and the City - utter utter trash seemingly written by some mad fantasist popping valium up her ahole three times a day.

Cityboy - I missed this column in whichever rag free paper it appeared in because I never lived far out enough to be a free paper drone (no offence). So I bought the book and it had some moments of very mild entertainment. Very, very mild.

Confessions of a Citygirl - not yet read, but have it. Looks absolutely bloody terrible from only a cursory glance.

Gross Misconduct: My Year of Excess in the City - amazingly given the title, this contained less drivel than the others, but still more awful than not of course.

As you can see I'm much enjoying my new hobby and any other recommendations would be gratefully received so that I can increase both my self and outward loathing.

I'm thinking maybe I could write my own about my own experiences in the city. Got the middle section down, but struggling for an intro and third act:

<<5:30am>> Got up, shaved, looked in mirror, felt like sh!t. Had porridge made with fkin rice milk as girlfriend read that proper milk gives men tits and cancer.

<<6am>> Walked to work. I hate this place. Exchanged banter about sh!t clothes with snivelling associate. I also had on sh!t clothes, predominantly Thomas Nash. He could say nothing back. I am the big man.

<<6:30am onward>> Worked all day until my eyes bled. Interspersed work and drinking tragically bad subsidised Starbucks coffee with improper propositions via Sametime to CSR. CSR got me some banal tasteless wild rice bollox from Pod. She pretended not to hate me as feedback time was coming up.

<<9pm>> Ordered Deliverance. Ate Deliverance. Was disgusted. Had to put whole team's order on my charge card again. Contemplated killing self. Couldn't be bothered.

<<10:30pm>> Walked home. Held back tears.


I'm gonna be a star.

 

[DowJones]

Class post ! Sums up how I feel when reading most of the **** on this site (present OP excluded)... fck, reminds me, I'm on a self-imposed ban from participating here. Gotta go...

PS Possible addition: <<11:30>> Logged onto a trading forum, read for 15 mins. Slotted myself. The End.

 

[random12345]

Class post ! Sums up how I feel when reading most of the **** on this site (present OP excluded)... fck, reminds me, I'm on a self-imposed ban from participating here. Gotta go...

PS Possible addition: <<11:30>> Logged onto a trading forum, read for 15 mins. Slotted myself. The End.

Aha, except nobody ever sticks to their self imposed bans. People only stop visiting when they go broke and end up taking a night shift as an Amazon picker (see the Futex guys from 3 years ago) or die.

11:30 would unfortunately read, This website has been blocked by UK IT policy!

Same with all the porn.

 

[Jack o'Clubs]

Try 'Money Mavericks' - Lars Kroijer. Guy who sets up his own hedge fund. No nonsense about a life of excess, just an honest and very readable account of what it took. Certainly my best City read (and I've read some of the stuff on your list!)

 

[random12345]

Try 'Money Mavericks' - Lars Kroijer. Guy who sets up his own hedge fund. No nonsense about a life of excess, just an honest and very readable account of what it took. Certainly my best City read (and I've read some of the stuff on your list!)

Interesting, I think I've heard of that guy. Isn't he the one that basically lucked his way into a significant amount of seed money despite having no real track record?

Gotta love due diligence.

 

[teflon142]

Liars poker is a goodun.

 

[Jack o'Clubs]

Interesting, I think I've heard of that guy. Isn't he the one that basically lucked his way into a significant amount of seed money despite having no real track record?

Gotta love due diligence.

Sort of, it's very funny when he's interviewing for his first hedge fund role and basically doesn't know anything so just bluffs. But by the time he sets up on his own the will-he-won't-he get the minimum his prime broker insists on is actually quite tense, although I'd guess he used a bit of dramatic licence.

Liar's Poker good too, Teflon.

Another cracker is Barbarians at the Gate although that's more business / corporate finance than trading. Great read though.

 

[sonofcablemonster]

the real wolf of Wall Street